Serves 6
110 min
Old Cucumber and Pork Soup
Recipe GLPR67be8d67fec6e5
A traditional, slow-simmered broth featuring tender pork bones, mature cucumber, sweet corn, and aromatic ginger. The pork is blanched first to ensure a clear, clean-tasting soup that simmers gently for maximum flavor extraction. Simple, wholesome, and deeply satisfying.
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Ingredients
1 pound pork soup bones, cut into 2-inch pieces
12 ounces mature cucumber (about half of a large one)
1 ear of corn, husked
4 ounces carrot (1 medium), peeled
1/4 ounce dried tangerine peel
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, unpeeled
5 quarts water, divided
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
Directions
Prepare all ingredients: Cut the mature cucumber in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Cut the cucumber into approximately 1-inch cubes without peeling the skin. Remove the husk and silk from the corn, then cut the ear crosswise into 1-inch-thick rounds. Peel the carrot and cut into irregular 1-inch pieces. Using the flat blade of a knife, gently crush the unpeeled ginger piece to release its oils.
Blanch the pork bones: Bring 2 quarts of water to a rolling boil in a medium pot. Add the pork bone pieces and parboil for approximately 15 minutes. Drain the bones in a colander and rinse thoroughly under cold running water to remove impurities. Set aside.
Combine all ingredients in a large clay pot or heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add the blanched pork bones, cucumber pieces, corn rounds, carrot pieces, tangerine peel, and crushed ginger. Pour in the remaining 3 quarts of water.
Bring the soup to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, immediately reduce the heat to low so that the soup maintains just a bare simmer with occasional tiny bubbles rising to the surface. Cover and cook for 1 hour and 30 minutes, undisturbed.
Remove from heat. Season the soup with salt and ground white pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and serve hot. The pork bones and vegetables should be tender and the broth clear and flavorful.
